


Different Fields

by brokenmimir



Series: Swan Queen Week Winter 2017 [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-30
Updated: 2017-01-30
Packaged: 2018-09-20 21:23:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9516800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brokenmimir/pseuds/brokenmimir
Summary: Swan Queen Week Winter 2017, Prompt 1: Celebrity AUEmma Swan was a super star musician.  Regina Mills was on her way to being the first woman president.  Too bad they'd never heard of each other.





	

Emma ducked inside of the building, pulling her baseball cap lower on her head and nervously fiddling with her red leather jacket. She knew that it made it hard to dodge the paparazzi, but she always wore it on tour, and there was no way that she could make it through the day without it. If only her favorite piece of clothing didn’t stand out so much and attract so much stupid attention.

The outside of the coffee shop had been pretty unassuming, but the inside was actually quite nice, with real wooden tables and comfortable chairs. Instead of the usual college crowd, most of the patrons were well dressed, older people speaking quietly to each other.

Emma walked up to the front and made her usual sugary order, before glancing casually towards the front door. Just outside she spotted several paparazzi, and quickly turned her head, frantically looking for an open seat out of sight of the windows. Without pausing to think she walked swiftly over to a booth with only one woman sitting at it, a laptop in front of her and a pile of documents beside it.

“Hey, mind if I sit here?” she asked, sliding right in before the woman even had a chance to look up.

The woman glanced at her, eyes narrowed in annoyance, hand gesturing sharply for a moment before reaching over to grab her coffee. “I don’t suppose at this point it matters whether I object.”

Emma grinned. “Guess not.”

The woman was beautiful, perhaps a handful of years older than herself, with shoulder length dark hair and a thin scar over one lip. She was wearing a power suit that must’ve cost more than anything Emma wore besides her best red carpet attire, although it was elegant and understated. She found her annoyance at having to hide out fading away quickly.

“I’m Emma.”

“Regina,” the woman said.

“So what are you working on, Regina?” Emma asked. “Anything fun?”

Regina snorted. “Fun? Not particularly. Just dealing with incompetence, as usual.”

“Oh,” Emma said, slightly taken aback. “So what do you do?”

Regina raised an eyebrow for a moment before answering. “I’m involved in the government.”

“Well, we’re in D.C.,” Emma said. “I guess that’s pretty normal.”

“Actually, you would be surprised,” Regina said. “Although the closest cafe to the Hill probably increases the chances.”

“Right,” Emma said, grinning slightly. “I’m not from around here.”

“Tourist?” Regina asked.

Emma blinked in surprise. “No. I’m, um, I’m a performer. In town for that.”

“I see,” Regina said, giving her body a speculative look. “Dance?”

“Not really,” Emma said. “I’m a musician, though I guess I dance a bit sometimes.”

Regina looked back at her laptop, and Emma for the first time in years for herself desperately interested in keeping a conversation going. It was the first time since her debut album went triple platinum ten years before that she’d had a chat with a pretty woman who didn’t know who she was.

“So, um...” Emma fumbled. “Nice weather?”

Regina just looked amused. “I suppose.”

“Right,” Emma mumbled, looking down and playing with her cup, her cheeks as red as her jacket.

After a long moment Regina looked back up, apparently taking pity on her. “Have you seen much of D.C.?”

“Not yet,” Emma said. “I was planning on seeing the sights today, you know, before my concert tonight, but I dropped in here first.”

“Cure for a hangover perhaps,” Regina mused. “I’ve heard things about traveling musicians.”

Emma grinned. “Right. Actually, more like jet-jag, just with a bus, instead. Bus-lag.”

Regina nodded knowingly. “Traveling around the country gets tiring very quickly. I’m always happy when I can finally go home and rest.”

“You travel a lot?” Emma asked.

Regina smiled slightly. “Some, especially recently. Actually, I’m planning on spending most of the fall traveling the country.”

“Oh,” Emma said. “Well, I can give you some recommendations for nice diners to stop in, but I doubt you’re into that kind of thing.”

Regina shrugged. “My usual tastes are perhaps a bit more refined, but I don’t mind seeing what the rest of the country enjoys. It probably won’t take long for me to have my fill of greasy food, though.”

They continued to make small talk for a while longer, and slowly the conversation became more and more comfortable. Emma began flirting with the woman, and to her delight Regina even flirted back a little. Eventually she glanced down at her watch and winced.

“Oops,” Emma said. “I lost track of time. They’re going to be expecting me for sound checks soon.”

Regina glanced at the time on her laptop. “Yes, I need to go myself. I’ve got quite a bit to do before tonight.”

“Here,” Emma said impulsively, grabbing a napkin and scribbling her cell number on it. “Call me sometime.”

Emma stood quickly and walked away, too nervous about possible rejection to stay and find out how her offer was received. She walked past a table with several suited men with sunglasses that watched her closely, and then through the thinning crowd and into the streets. To make it in time she hailed a taxi, and an hour later she was getting her make up done by while Ruby sat beside her, tuning her bass.

“Alright, what’s got you so happy,” Ruby asked. “You hate doing these kind of shows.”

Emma shrugged. “Yeah, nobody even really listens to me at fundraisers. I don’t know why we have to go to them.”

“Don’t say that,” Mary-Margaret objected earnestly from where she hovered at the door. “Senator Mills is very important. She’s an openly gay woman with hispanic heritage running for president!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Emma said, waving a hand vaguely. “Super important. I’m sure I’ll vote for her, or whatever. I’d just rather put on shows for real fans, not rich assholes paying ten grand a plate for dinner.”

“So what’s got you in such a good mood?” Ruby interjected before the other two women could start bickering again.

“Just met someone,” Emma said.

“Oh?” Ruby grinned. “Did you give her your number?”

“Actually, yes,” Emma said.

“Oh, Emma,” Mary-Margaret sighed. “You know you shouldn’t do that. What if they’re a stalker? Remember that Jones guy?”

“Look, they didn’t even know who I was, so I’m not worried about that,” Emma said. “They were nice. Professional. Probably listen to classical or something. Anyway, it’s time to go out there, right?”

“Yup,” Ruby said. “Although you’re not getting out of this. I want all the details later!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Emma said.

The walk to the stage was quick, and as she took her spot a tall, dark skinned man gave her introduction. “Thank you all for coming. Tonight I am very proud to introduce you to eight time Grammy winner, Emma Swan!”

Emma smiled and waved a little weakly, taking in the stuffy crowd. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw Regina sitting near the front, her own eyebrows raised.

“Of course, before we begin, as I’m sure you all know, the proceeds from tonight’s event are all going to our future president, Senator Regina Mills!”

Emma gasped, staring wide eyed as the woman she’d spent the day having coffee with stood and waved at the crowd throwing her a quick smirk as she sat down again. Emma just grinned back, suddenly glad that she’d agreed to play that night.

Dating a presidential candidate wouldn’t make it any easier to dodge the press, though.

 


End file.
